1. Lesson 2 for October 10, 2015

2. CRISISWITHIN From Joshua to Solomon ± 1400 – 931 BC The divided kingdom ± 931 – 586 BC WITHOUTBabylonCAUSESMistakesAttitudes

3. “And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.” (Judges 2:12) The judges The people turned away from God and worshipped other gods. The unified kingdom Solomon turned away from God and worshipped other gods. ± 1400 – 1050 BC He sent judges to deliver them. He also unified the kingdom. ± 1050 – 931 BC He divided the kingdom. He let them suffer the consequences of their mistakes.

4. “Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” (1 Kings 12:28) After Solomon died, the 12 tribes were divided into 2 kingdoms:

5. “But he [Amon] did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them.” (2 Chronicles 33:22)

6. “And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him.” (Jeremiah 27:6)

7. “For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)

8. The Jews fooled themselves. They thought they were good people and God would never punish them (Jer. 2:23). There was a saying: “The temple of the Lord are these” (Jer. 7:4). Everything was alright. As long as they worshipped God in the temple, everything else didn’t matter? They ignored God’s warnings. They didn’t meditated on their ways. They didn’t regret their sinful thoughts. That’s a strong warning for us. How is your relationship with God today? Is religion just form for you? Have you surrendered your heart to God? Are you living in communion with God every day? “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; see now and know; and seek in her open places if you can find a man, if there is anyone who executes judgment, who seeks the truth, and I will pardon her.” (Jeremiah 5:1)

9. “It will be well for us to consider what is soon to come upon the earth. This is no time for trifling or self-seeking. If the times in which we are living fail to impress our minds seriously, what can reach us? Do not the Scriptures call for a more pure and holy work than we have yet seen?” E.G.W. (Selected Messages, book 2, cp. 53, pg. 400)